UH selected for Complete College America academy

Results of the Hawaiʻi Graduation Initiative, which includes the 15-to-Finish campaign, are generating national attention. The campaign encourages students to take 15 credits a semester to graduate on time. The Hawaiʻi Graduation Initiative’s progress includes a 20 percent increase in UH graduates since 2008.

Hawaiʻi was one of only three states selected for a Complete College America academy, which was held recently at the State Capitol.

Complete College America works with states to support increased college completion. The University of Hawaiʻi has been invited to present the 15-to-Finish campaign at Complete College America’s annual meeting in New Orleans.

“Clearly Hawaiʻi is one of the few states that we decided to have a state academy. It is one of the few states that we are highlighting at our national meeting,” said Stanley Jones, Complete College America president.

Jones says the University of Hawaiʻi is receiving this national recognition because it has shown leadership, excellent planning and measured progress along with a commitment from the state.

“Hawaiʻi is doing all the right kinds of things and they are showing remarkable progress in a short amount of time. Hawaiʻi is clearly one of the leading states in the country,” said Jones.

Across the UH system, there was an almost 15-percent increase in the number of students taking 15 or more credits in fall 2012 than the previous year.

“This is very important to parents and their students,” said University of Hawaiʻi President M.R.C. Greenwood. “If you take 15 credits you can finish in four years and since many students were only taking 12, and therefore not finishing in four years, this is a huge financial saving to families as well.”

The entire system is working together to meet the Hawaiʻi Graduation Initiative’s goal to increase the number of UH graduates by 25 percent in 2015.

“This is national recognition that we are among leading states and that’s because we strive to be, and hope to be, and I think we are rapidly becoming, one of the best performing systems of higher education in the country,” said Greenwood.

“Everyone should be so proud of what we’ve accomplished at UH and what we intend to accomplish,” said UH Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost Linda Johnsrud.

Hawaiʻi is in the top 5 to 10 states in the country in terms of making progress according to Jones of Complete College America. Now the University of Hawaiʻi will share its success to help other states.